


Kin

by norgbelulah



Category: Justified
Genre: Christmas, Female Friendship, Friendship, Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-25
Updated: 2011-12-25
Packaged: 2017-10-28 02:01:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/302506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/norgbelulah/pseuds/norgbelulah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A glimpse of Mags and Helen many years ago, at Christmas.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kin

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ellia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ellia/gifts).



> A little treat for you. <3 Unbeta'd. Hope you enjoy.

“Save me a seat, now, Helen-girl,” Mags called as she rushed into the house.

“Sure thing, honey,” Helen called back. “You gonna be okay walkin’ down with all that?”

Helen was gonna go on ahead down the hill, while Mags gathered up the two pies they still had cooling, put them in boxes, and carry them down to the church basement for refreshments at the Christmas Pageant tonight.

“I’ll be fine. Jus’ make sure I don’t get stuck sittin’ next to Arlo He smells like the coal yard and old chew.”

Helen laughed, “Don’t let Frances hear you say that.” And ran to catch up with her sister and Frances’ new boyfriend.

Mags smiled, looking over their handiwork; a bourbon pecan and an apple pie, her mother’s famous recipes. She’d let Helen in on the old family secrets so she could have company in the kitchen all day. Mags’ mother’s youngest sister had married into Helen’s family last summer anyway, so they were kin-folk of a kind. And Mags didn’t think anyone would mind much, even her strict-as-church Mama, four years’ in the ground this coming spring.

Helen and Mags were both the oldest girls in their families, and they both lived far up the cut, closer to the mines than to the town. They’d grown up together and they were thicker than thieves, like sisters, rather than just any old kin.

When Mags got to the church, nearly everyone was there and seated, so she shoved the pies on a table downstairs and walked swiftly through the crowd searching out Helen and all their friends. They were about six or seven seated up near the front, to the right side of the pulpit and Mags skirted sideways, past through the wooden pew to get to them.

“Shove over,” Helen said to her sister and the message passed down the row. Mags slipped in beside her. Their hands met quickly and their fingers interlaced and they smiled at each other. “Frances says Jolene’s oldest baby’s playing Mary this year and her youngest is in the manger.”

“That so?” Mags asked with a raise of her brows, thinking of their older, mutual friend from up on the cut. “That’s either a very holy family or a very unholy one,” she said with a sly grin and Helen laughed.

“Purvis Bennett was asking after you,” Helen said a moment later in a low voice and glanced back at Arlo, who looked mad enough to spit. “I told him he could see you downstairs after, but you best keep that man away from Arlo. They near tore each other’s throats out ‘fore you got here. I’ll never know what’s between them Givens and Bennetts. It’s too deep for my blood.”

“Mine too,” Mags said and tightened her grip on Helen’s hand. “You’re all I need, Helen-girl, you know that right? No man’s good enough for me when I got you by my side.”

Helen’s eyes lit up as she rolled them and looked away. “You’ll see him anyway.”

Mags grinned, knowing she would, but before she could deny it, profess her love and independence once again, the lights dimmed and the curtain was pulled aside.

“It’s starting,” Helen whispered in her ear.


End file.
